Recent developments of zinc oxide based photocatalyst in water treatment technology: A review

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/238598.pdf

Use of electrospinning technique for biomedical applications

Biomaterials based on chitin and chitosan in wound dressing applications

Biopolymer-based hydrogels as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications: a review

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

Chitosan, a naturally occurring polysaccharide with abundant resources, has been extensively exploited for various biomedical applications, typically as wound dressings owing to its unique biocompatibility, good biodegradability and excellent antibacterial properties. In this work, composite nanofibrous membranes of chitosan (CS) and silk fibroin (SF) were successfully fabricated by electrospinning. The morphology of electrospun blend nanofibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the fiber diameters decreased with the increasing percentage of chitosan. Further, the mechanical test illustrated that the addition of silk fibroin enhanced the mechanical properties of CS/SF nanofibers. The antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (Gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) were evaluated by the turbidity measurement method; and results suggest that the antibacterial effect of composite nanofibers varied on the type of bacteria. Furthermore, the biocompatibility of murine fibroblast on as-prepared nanofibrous membranes was investigated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and MTT assays in vitro, and the membranes were found to promote the cell attachment and proliferation. These results suggest that as-prepared chitosan/silk fibroin (CS/SF) composite nanofibrous membranes could be a promising candidate for wound healing applications.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/11/9/3529/pdf

Fabrication of chitosan/silk fibroin composite nanofibers for wound-dressing applications.

Intermolecular interactions in electrospun collagen–chitosan complex nanofibers

Preparation and characterization of coaxial electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane/collagen compound nanofibers for tissue engineering applications

A drug-loaded implantable scaffold is a promising alternative for the treatment of a tissue defect after tumor resection. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were used as carriers to load an anticancer drug – doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), and the DOX-loaded MSNs (DOX@MSNs) were subsequently incorporated into poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibers via electrospinning, resulting in a new drug-loaded nanofibrous scaffold (PLLA/DOX@MSNs). The as-prepared composite nanofibrous scaffold was characterized by various techniques. In vitro release profiles of DOX from PLLA/DOX@MSNs composite nanofibers were examined and the in vitro antitumor efficacy against HeLa cells was also evaluated. The results showed that DOX-loaded MSNs were successfully incorporated into composite nanofibers with different MSN (or DOX) contents. Among them, the PLLA/1.0% DOX@10% MSN nanofibers exhibited good particle distribution and improved thermal stability. More importantly, they possessed high DOX-loading capacities due to which the drug can be released in a sustained and prolonged manner, and therefore higher in vitro antitumor efficacy than their MSNs-free counterparts. Thus, the prepared PLLA/MSNs composite nanofibrous mats are highly promising as local implantable scaffolds for potential postsurgical cancer treatment.

Doxorubicin-loaded electrospun poly(L-lactic acid)/mesoporous silica nanoparticles composite nanofibers for potential postsurgical cancer treatment

This manuscript describes the accurate deposition of carbon on the surface of ZnO nanorods by a simple, microwave-assisted method and the studies on the cytotoxicity and photocatalytic activity of the C/ZnO hybrids. For the coating of carbon, the surface of the preformed ZnO nanorods were first modified by amino groups and then grafted by glucose, and finally they were irradiated in a microwave field to induce the transformation of glucose into carbon. With this method, the as-prepared carbon-coated product preserved the good dispersity and uniformity of the initial ZnO nanorods. Studies on the effects of carbon-coated ZnO nanorods and pure ZnO nanorods on cultured mouse fibroblast cells revealed that the coating of biocompatible carbon remarkably reduced the cytotoxicity of ZnO nanorods. In addition, benefiting from the synergy effect of carbon and ZnO, carbon-coated ZnO NRs also exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity toward the decomposition of methylene blue in a short time (∼14 min).

Hongsheng Wang

Papers

Fabrication of chitosan/silk fibroin composite nanofibers for wound-dressing applications.

Intermolecular interactions in electrospun collagen–chitosan complex nanofibers

Preparation and characterization of coaxial electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane/collagen compound nanofibers for tissue engineering applications

Doxorubicin-loaded electrospun poly(L-lactic acid)/mesoporous silica nanoparticles composite nanofibers for potential postsurgical cancer treatment

Uniform Carbon-Coated ZnO Nanorods: Microwave-Assisted Preparation, Cytotoxicity, and Photocatalytic Activity